Boy Soldiers
by twouble
Summary: Series of short chapters Sirius and James make clear their determination to fight in the war to various people.
1. The Head of House

**A/N:** **Hmm, this chapter came to me when I couldn't sleep last night and was originally going to be a one shot but when I went to post it I decided to make it a bit longer, so… this is McGonagall, I'll do chapters for the Marauders, Lily, James' parents and Dumbledore. If anyone can think of anyone else they should tell let me know and I'll write it, if not then it'll be stopped at 7 chapters (& I'm not telling you what happens in the other two, you'll have to wait and see )**

Professor Minerva McGonagall looked at the two eighteen year olds sat before her exasperatedly. They were both exceptionally bright, yet neither seemed to care for anything more than trouble making.

"This is your seventh detention this term, Potter, and your eighth, Black." Neither boy made any attempt to apologise. "If you carry on like this it won't matter how many exams you pass, you'll end up in Azkaban."

"You've got to get caught to end up in Azkaban."

"And we're very good at not getting caught."

"Which is why you've had so many detentions, is it Black?"

"No Professor, it's why we've had so few detentions." He grinned and she knew there was no arguing with him, the boys cared for nothing more they cared for fun, and as long as they were having fun they'd continue, whether it was setting tapestries on fire, throwing dungbombs down the stairs, or bewitching statues to sing Christmas carols every time someone walked past them. Even in July.

"Honestly boys, you can't continue you like this, you're going to need to grow up. You leave Hogwarts in three months, then what?"

"There's a war going on, Professor."

"That doesn't answer my question." She hoped that Potter wouldn't mean what she thought he did, the world didn't need any more heroes, especially not ones so young.

"What do you expect us to do?"

"You can't mean…"

"We'll fight."

"Fight? You're just boys." But as she spoke the words she knew that they would fall on deaf ears, Potter and Black were not just boys, they were stronger, emotionally and physically, than most wizards of their age, they knew what was important, what truly mattered, and neither could stand back and pretend the war wasn't happening. She should have expected it, really.

"We're not, we're soldiers." Soldiers. They were two young to be soldiers, far too young. They might not have been the same eleven year olds who had walked through to the great hall behind her, filled with a mixture of fear and excitement, but they still had the same spark of mischief in their eyes, they still looked as though they would never grow up and they were still children in her eyes. Far too young to be fighting a war that wasn't theirs in the making. They would be safe if they didn't fight, both purebloods, from wizarding families going back generations, there was no need for them to be harmed. But to these two boys, like so many before them, nothing mattered more than their friendship, and so many of their friends would not be as safe as they would. She knew that, and they were far too noble, put a price far too high on comradeship, to stand by and watch it happen.

"You won't be dissuaded from finding, will you?"

"No." It was Sirius who spoke this time, he had more reason than most to detest the dark arts, to detest pureblood mania. He had had pureblood ideals shoved down his throat from birth, and in a style that remained true to him, even now, he had greeted it with nothing other than rebellion. "It might be easy…"

"But it isn't right."

"And if we've got to choose between what's easy, and what is right..."

"We'll fight." She had to smile, she admired their determination to stand up for the cause, their integrity, their spirit and their brotherhood. Neither would back down as long as the other was their side, and both would provide light relief to the war torn wizarding world as they fought. She imagined if they went down, then they would go down fighting, go down laughing, and, she supposed, go down together. They were either extremely brave, or extremely foolish. Perhaps both.

"And we'll win." Sirius told her. They were the young ones, the young soldiers ready to join the battlefield, determined never to give in, that this world would never fall to evil. And although she knew that they were still young enough to see the world in black and white, that they had not quite realised that the world wasn't split into good people and death eaters, that there were more grey areas than they would ever be able to fathom, she knew that they would fight until the battle was won, or die trying. She smiled at their gallantry.

"And when the war ends?"

"I want to be an auror." Sirius told her proudly. "I'd love to put my brother in Azkaban."

"Black." She knew it wasn't a joke, but it still was not something he should be saying. "And you, Potter?"

"I don't know. All I want to do is marry Lily."

"Evans?" He nodded.

"She'll get a great job, maybe I can be a househusband." Sirius laughed, but James looked deadly serious. "And if we have children, I'll teach them not to hate. I'll teach them that everyone's the same, all of us, blood status or no blood status." She was filled with admiration yet again, the look on Sirius' face told her he agreed and she saw something inside them that their misbehaviour over the past seven years had over shadowed; they really were both true Gryffindors, courageous and chivalrous through and through.

"You're fine boys, you'll make fine men someday." If you survive that long, she silently thought.


	2. The Best Friends

"What did McGonagall want?" Remus Lupin asked his two best friends as they walked into the dormitory and sat on the end of his bed.

"The usual."

"We'll end up in Azkaban."

"You will. Or dead. Have you two even decided what you're doing when you leave?" Remus had known for years it would be difficult for him, as a werewolf, to find paid employment, and had resigned himself to that fact, but the other two, who would both do brilliantly in their exams, would have to get out into the world and work. They looked at each other worriedly, James nodded and beckoned the fourth boy in the room over. Sirius took a deep breath.

"We want to fight."

"Fight?"

"Against Voldemort." Remus couldn't speak. He should have expected it, Sirius and James despised the dark arts, he should have expected they would do everything they could to destroy the dark lord. He should have expected it, but he hadn't. He knew his face had paled and he turned to look at Peter, who let out a pained squeak. Turning back to the others, who were looking more worried by the second he sighed.

"You could…"

"Don't say it, Remus!"

"We don't care if we do. We've talked about it and we've agreed, we want to fight, we're old enough to know what we're doing, we can't sit back and let other people get hurt while we live the good life."

"But you'd be safe if you just… you three would be safe I mean, I wouldn't but…"

"Exactly. You're part of us aren't you? And we're doing this for you."

"And for Lily."

"And for every half blood, muggle born or muggle out there." Remus said nothing, just glanced towards the window. Peter looked petrified. Sirius patted his shoulder. Remus felt James' hand on his back, he turned slowly to look at him.

"We want to do this, we need to do this."

"What if you die?"

"Then bury us together. Write Marauders on our grave stones. Tell everyone we died fighting for what was right. Tell everyone we loved our friends. Tell them that Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were the world's greatest trouble makers. Tell them we did the right thing, tell the world we wanted this, that we welcomed it, tell them we'd do anything to destroy Voldemort. But most of all, bury us together, that's most important. Right, Padfoot?"

"Most important."

"What if I die? Can I be buried with you?"

"You…?"

"You didn't think we'd let you fight on your own, did you? We'll be there too, won't we Peter?" Peter nodded reluctantly, his face flooded with fear, he had never been all that brave but if his friends were joining the fight against Voldemort he wouldn't be left behind, he'd fight alongside them, because that's what they did, Remus thought, that's what they'd always done. Stuck together. Ever since first year, and no matter what none let the others down, no matter what, they hadn't turned their backs on him for being a werewolf because they all stuck together. "If Voldemort wants one us, he'll have to kill us all."

"And the Marauders will not go quietly."

"Not a chance." Sirius grinned and lay back on the bed, looking cheerful despite the atmosphere. James lay back beside him, soon Remus and Peter joined them, none of the four saying a word, each dwelling on their own thoughts. They knew this war wouldn't be easy, not for any of them, but they had each other, and friendship mattered most, they mattered most, they all trusted each other with their lives, and each of them would lay down their life to help another. They stared at the ceiling for some time, still not talking. Sirius sat up eventually. "Do you think they'd bury us under the Whomping Willow?"

"What d'you want to be buried under there for?" James asked, rising to sit too.

"Because he's an idiot." Remus put in."

"I thought we weren't dying?" Peter said, pulling himself up to a sitting position.

"Hypothetically." Remus said.

"Hypo what now?"

"We're not dying. Not yet. We're going to win."

"It's not a game, Padfoot." The serious tone returned to the room and one by one they lay back down again, Remus' words ringing in their ears. _It's not a game_.

**A/N: That one was rather short, but then again, I did say short chapters!**


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